The Ecclesia Network

a missional church network

Chris Backert

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Halfway There: What Comes Next?

In the Spring of 2047, it will have been 50 years since I preached my first sermon. 
I can remember the day vividly that I “surrendered to the ministry.” After I walked the aisle to answer the call, my pastor told me at the end of the service that “if I was called to ministry, I was called to preach, so next Sunday night you are up!” I looked up and said “Next week?” to which he replied, “The only way you learn to preach is by preaching!”

I didn’t know it at the time, but I stepped into the world of ministry at a moment that I would now describe as the finale of the church in the era of Christendom in the US. When I first went to school to study pastoral ministry later that year, it hadn’t been very long since The Purpose-Driven Church was initially published, one of the most popular periodicals for ministry leaders at the time was “Church Growth Magazine”, the conversation about future generations and church participation was aimed squarely at Gen X, and that was only in the tiniest corner of the smallest room, in the basement of the church complex in North America. In other words, to most pastoral leaders, church participation was largely stable and even growing. The surrounding culture of the common American city or town was either supportive or at least neutral to the values and worldview of the Christian Church. Further, most pastoral leaders were still respected and met with a common embrace and gratitude, even among those who did not faithfully attend.   

By the time I reach my 50th year of ministry, the landscape that I entered into will have so vastly changed that I know it would be unrecognizable to the world of the 1990s.  Like many of those who will be reading this article, I’m a “bridge leader” in ministry in the year 2023. I entered into ministry on the end side of Christendom and I will finish ministry when I expect that Post-Christendom will be so underway that nobody will even recall that there once was another side to the bridge. My ministry will have been summarized by a season that only a small portion of pastors since the Protestant Reformation will share in that, throughout our career, we will have crossed the bridge from one epoch of the church into another.  

Not long ago it dawned on me that I am halfway across the bridge.  I have been in ministry for about as long as I have left in ministry and now I am working on the back half of that bridge.  

As many of us are somewhere in the same vicinity, it’s a good time to ask ourselves: 

  • What do we feel called to during our remaining years? 
  • With more maturity, wisdom – and hopefully humility – than we started out , what mark do we want to leave on the world when we are done?  

What echoes deep in my own spirit is that I want to do all I can to ensure that there is a faithful, vibrant, and flourishing church that is fully equipped for what we might now call a Post-Church era.

I want to do all I can to ensure that there is a faithful, vibrant, and flourishing church that is fully equipped for what we might now call a Post-Church era.” 

Ecclesia as a whole has always been on the same journey – and those of us who are a part of this family have been drawn together for this shared purpose. Although we might articulate it with different nuance, it is my conviction that the churches and leaders in our family have always been characterized by a heart to bear witness to the gospel among generations of people for whom standard approaches to church were ineffective.  We certainly don’t know all that we need to know in order to carry out the Great Commission for the next 25 years – and we need to continue to learn from one another (and from others) – but we do have within our DNA several of the key essentials to fulfill the mission before us. More, we know that we are not alone.

[1] One constant theme in the life of Ecclesia over the last 15 years has been the number of leaders from outside Ecclesia who feel at home among us, but are constrained from having their church join us for one legitimate reason or another. Perhaps they share an understanding of the gospel with Ecclesia, sense a common approach to ministry, or perhaps most of all an affection for our relational posture. But, whatever the case, they have had the desire to come more closely into life with Ecclesia. This is why we beta-tested an Individual Membership option in 2022. Having found initial fruitfulness among a handful of friends, we are excited to share that we are now planning to make the Individual Membership option a formal part of our future plans.    

[2] In like manner, we have also seen the rise of congregations within Ecclesia sensing the need to start local networks of churches within their city or region.  These are popping up in all four corners of the country and run the gamut from city-wide networks cooperating around church planting to collaborative approaches to youth ministry across a town. Given that these networks are the outgrowth of the character and nature of leaders within Ecclesia, we believe there is a “tissue match” between Ecclesia as a whole and these emerging local relationships. For that reason, another growth step we have decided to take in 2023 is to become more proactive in encouraging the formation of local networks through Ecclesia churches as well as exploring how Ecclesia can serve these local networks through our churches.. 

As we move into the future then, we see the ministry of Ecclesia being centered around leaders, churches, and local church networks. While we do not expect to diminish our focus on the three important phases of healthy local congregations – Starting (years 1-3), Strengthening (years 4-8), and Sending (years 9+) – we do believe that now is the time to formally create paths that allow individual leaders and local networks connected to our churches to benefit from the ministry of Ecclesia.

As I stand now in the center of the bridge, these steps for Ecclesia resonate as the kind of actions that strengthen our capacity to be more faithful and fruitful in the unique time that we have been called to steward together (with others) on behalf of the gospel.  

Does your own calling, wherever you are on the bridge, resonate with this?  If so, we would like you to take a further step with us in 2023 in these ways: 

  • First, if you are a leader, not officially connected to Ecclesia, consider joining our family on this mission as an individual leader.  
  • Second, if you are a church, or aspire to plant a church and know that you need a company of friends to be in ministry alongside, but without the trappings of a hierarchical denomination-type structure, then consider joining with us or planting with us in 2023.  
  • Third, if you are an Ecclesia Church already, why not consider how the gospel might multiply more fully if you created a network of like-hearted and common-minded churches within your city or town? If so, we would love to help.  

And lastly, if you are a leader of another ministry that would be a “peer” to Ecclesia and happen to be reading this, and are wondering how we might team up our common efforts, then drop us a line because we are exploring that too in this season.  

We are in a unique season as ministry leaders in 2023.  The challenges in front of us are greater than those behind us – and yet, so is the kingdom opportunity! Let’s not lose heart as we emerge from these last few years of immense challenge and let us recommit ourselves to the cause of the gospel in our time and let us do it together.

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6 Marks of Vitality for Today’s Church

Over this last year, one of the key goals we have been working on during our family’s homeschooling adventure is an understand of homophones, homographs, and homonyms.  In case you are forgetting your beginning Greek and Latin, a homophone is a word that sounds the same, but is spelled differently, and with a different meaning.  In contrast a homograph is a word that is spelled the same, but sounds different, and also carries a different meaning.  Related, but apart from both of those, are homonyms. These are words that sound alike and are spelled alike but have different meanings.  “Church” is one of those words. 

For many people, when they talk about a church, they are talking about the “local” church.  That is, a community of people, covenanted with one another, and gathered around the risen Jesus in a specific location.  For a long time, this has been associated with a building or a place of meeting, but we all know that it means much more than this.  This is the primary use of the word ekklesia in the New Testament.  In addition, there is the “universal” church.  A concept we clearly get from the pages of scripture and we can all acknowledge is that such a reality “exists.”  Yet, as Dallas Willard once remarked, “The problem with the “universal” church is that we can never see it.  Only God sees it, and it is probably better that way.”  However, in the pages of scripture, there is a third understanding of the word ekklesia, and it is the one most important to our network. 

The Kind of “Church” that is Ecclesia

Craig Van Gelder goes to great pains to demonstrate that this usage of the term ekklesia is where we get our conception of networks, families of churches, or denominations both historically and textually.  This usage referenced the connection of local churches beyond their own individuality.  Yet, the reason we do not notice these texts as often is because their direct application is varied.  In some cases, the texts describe leaders that are sent out from congregations, in others they are teams sent for resourcing purposes, and still others describe apostles and overseers that serve beyond one local church.  In all, Van Gelder describes this usage of ekklesia as “mobile mission structures” that exist beyond local churches for the intertwining, coordinating, and expanding of ministry. 

For obvious reasons, in this season of life, this is the nature of “church” to which I pay greatest attention.  Whether we are talking about denominations, associations, or networks, the nature of “church” here all refers to something beyond the local church, but more concrete than the universal church.  It is something covenantal, purposeful, and connected. 

With this in mind, I want to share 6 areas that are marking the “churches” in our time who are demonstrating vitality and momentum.  The truth is, the great majority of “denominations” today are severely challenged, so it’s not as difficult to observe the common marks of those that are not. 

Mark 1:  Most churches (within the family) demonstrate an outward orientation from an Orthodox position related to the core understandings of the church throughout the ages.

What is important about this marker is that it illustrates that BOTH of these dispositions are vital.  A network of churches (and the individual churches themselves) must generally be focused outward in bearing witness to the good news of Jesus Christ in their community AND they must maintain Orthodoxy despite the cultural pressures attempting to dissuade them from such a posture.  It’s also important to note the reverse of this mark – church families that, as a whole, do not face outward and do not maintain Orthodoxy are struggling.  For all of my looking, I have yet to observe a denomination or family of churches that is departing Orthodoxy (or moving left of center) that could be said to be living in vitality and with momentum.

Mark 2:  Most churches have learned to be perseverant, steadfast, and opportunistic according to what is called for in the right season. 

Here is the recognition that often what makes a congregation fruitful is that it knows how to wisely carry itself in different seasons of life. Families of churches that are encouraging each of these postures in their corresponding seasons create a culture where congregations understand the season in which they find themselves. Ministry is not always stable.  There are seasons of difficulty and pruning. Our response in those seasons is to persevere.  If the season never ends, we may be able to safely assume that a more permanent decision related to the congregation’s life is in order, but for the most part, difficult seasons come and go. This is particularly true in church planting. When we are in more stable/plateaued seasons, the important key is not to assume that everything needs to change. In our world of immediate demands for success, when things are not moving “up and to the right” our tendency can be to assume something is wrong. Instead, it may be simply important to just hold steady.  I can think of many, many churches within our network (Evergreen, Kairos, New Denver, Neighborhood Church, All Souls, Renew, and many others) that demonstrated perseverance through challenges and patience in steady seasons.

Finally, and this is perhaps the greatest skill congregations need to hone, is how to move into a mentality of opportunity when a “harvest time” arises.  I cannot even count the number of situations I am aware of that a church did not act upon the opportunity in front of them. Had they done so, it could have had a dramatic impact on the faith of the community and the vibrancy of the church for years to come. Yet, a lack of faith, or a spirit of mediocrity, or an unwillingness to double effort for a season caused the door of opportunity to close. In contrast, there are many churches in our network (Church @ the Well, Brick City, Redemption, and many others) who saw opportunities in front of them and took steps of faith even when the outcome was not certain.    


Mark 3:  The family is making preparations for a future where the average participant is less wealthy, and less “western”. 

Families of churches that are demonstrating a path toward a vibrant future are fully aware of the demographic changes taking place in North American Christianity. They understand that the people of the world have come to North America and that the shape of the future church will not be determined by the people that have shaped the past. There will be more congregations in each family representing particular people groups and more congregations reflecting the multi-cultural nature of our cities.  As the “Anglo” church shrinks in number, it is critical that an appropriate transfer of leadership and authority be enacted. Where this reality is present, the “church” is doing better. Further, these associations of churches also understand that the average member of the family will, most likely, have a smaller economic capacity than in the past. The cause of this is partly from generational shifts, partly from the multi-ethnic composition of the future church, and partly because of slow growing or stagnating wages impacting most people that call the United States home. All in all, the church will not enjoy the financial capacity it has been accustomed to for the last several decades. Where we are learning to get “leaner and meaner”, there is vitality. In some aspects of this Ecclesia is strong, and in others we really need help.  We are great at not being “wealthy,” but are not as far along at being “less western.” Our heart yearns for this though. 

Mark 4:  Most churches maintain a hopefulness in God’s work and a commitment to trust that God’s ways will prevail.

There is much to be said about the capacity for faith among churches that are prevailing in the midst of our cultural moment. In fact, it’s hard to find thorough examples of churches that are prevailing without a high degree of faith and trust in the Kingdom of God revealed through the person and work of the Jesus Christ and manifested most clearly within the pages of scripture as illumined by the ongoing work of the Spirit. Ultimately, churches that put their hope in this reality in spite of whatever circumstances they are facing, will see God come through for them in due time.  The churches in Ecclesia that have trusted in this aspect of God’s action and character have seen surprising outcomes.  The churches that have followed this path in Ecclesia over the years are too numerous to name.  I can say that many of them have seen God’s clear action and redemption on the other side of their faithfulness.  Yet, some still wait, but they stay faithful.

Mark 5:  The family as a whole gives the majority of its efforts to clear strategies that make and multiply disciples.

Groups of churches that are moving with vibrancy today focus on fewer areas in their life together. Once upon a time, families of churches (mostly in the form of denominations and associations), attempted to cover the full gamut of Christian experience in their resourcing and common life. It would not be abnormal to find everything from Christian camping to annuity planning and from worship resources to Sunday school. Today, those moving with strength are really focused on whatever it will take to make and multiply disciples. Typically, this manifests itself in areas of focus around developing leaders, church planting, church renewal and growth, evangelism and community impact, etc. 

Mark 6:  Theological clarity exists among the churches and theological coherence exists between the churches. 

This one is perhaps far more important than many leaders in our day might first consider. In just about every family of churches that demonstrate clear signs of momentum today, very little time is spent on debating divergent theological views. In other words, churches associated with one another have clarity about what they believe together and their beliefs are coherent with each other. Coherence is not the same as complete agreement. Yet, incoherence is detrimental. For instance, it is hard to cohere together two divergent understandings of what Christian marriage means theologically and scripturally. It is also difficult to cohere a hermeneutic that leads to either of those opposing positions. I’m using these as examples since they are the most clear demonstrations of theological incoherence impacting families of churches today. Again, I am hard pressed to find any example of a family of churches that is thriving where such incoherence is present. Out of a commitment to both what we believe to be faithful and fruitful, we press fully into this reality. 

What This Means For Ecclesia

As I’ve reflected a great deal on the networks of churches that seem to be cutting against the grain of struggle, I’m encouraged by many of these aspects within Ecclesia. There are some where we are doing well as a “church” together and there are others that clearly need more focus and attention. Like any local church our “church” is a work in progress.  Nevertheless, as a leadership team for our network, we are committed to strengthening, developing, and growing further in each of these marks as they represent a concrete set of guidance for how ministries like Ecclesia are thriving today. Of course, we are only striving for these markers in so much as they represent many of the very same things that are helping our churches (as a whole) thrive today as well. Within Ecclesia we hold up the primacy of the local church – for it is the epicenter of God’s action in the world. Yet, primacy is not the same as autonomy or independence. We are better as a “church” when we act together, cohere together and stand in faithfulness together.  My long-term contention has been that the early church network probably looked a good bit like what Ecclesia (and others like us) looks today.  I hope that in so doing we honor Christ and have even a small percentage of the impact as those first followers of the Resurrected Son. 

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From the National Director: Timelines

This summer Rachel and I have been gearing up for something we both thought we would never do – homeschooling!  For a variety of reasons we have discerned this is the best path for our family in the near-term.  As we have tried to dig ourselves into the world of curriculum for elementary school age children, we have found out just how much education has changed since we were little!  One of our favorite resources that we stumbled upon as we’ve tried to put together a stellar plan is the “timeline” song used by some who take the classical approach to education.  If you have never heard it before, you should look it up on Youtube.  It is sung to a relatively catchy tune for elementary age children and will refresh your memory on everything you were once taught in history classes that you have long forgotten.  The song lasts almost 13 minutes and ends with a reminder to the children that they are now part of the time-line of history and indeed can make some history of their own!

Ecclesia is coming up on 10 years since we “officially” started this Fall.  Our time-line began with a collection of 4 churches scattered across the country who envisioned a family on mission with one another.  The task of cultivating faithful expressions of the gospel in community seems more daunting now than when we first began a short decade ago.  The cultural landscape in the US has changed a great deal during that time, presenting great challenges to the people of Jesus who wish to provide a faithful and compelling witness.  Yet, with those great challenges are also great opportunities.

As I’ve thought about Ecclesia’s timeline and the timeline of many of the churches within our network, I know that many of you have experienced a season of challenge in the last year.  Some of you hoped that the challenges of 2016 would not carry into a new year.  For some that has turned about to the case, for others you find yourself still amidst of hardship.  In many ways, what the churches of Ecclesia experience in their life is what “we” as a network experience.  If it’s a tough year financially for you, it becomes a tough year financially for us.  If you are navigating thorny issues and conflict, we are navigating thorny issues and conflict, because we are committed to walk together.  Simultaneously, when new people enter the kingdom of God, or a family or neighborhood begins to be transformed, we all celebrate that with one another.

As I look over our collective timelines and with the jingle of the “timeline” song in my head, it’s a relief to remember that history is full of ups and downs, of seasons of fruitfulness and seasons of pruning.  The fruitfulness comes in cycles, as does the pruning.  Some years back Mike Breen spoke at our Ecclesia National Gathering and he reminded us that in seasons of pruning, our primary task is to abide (John 15).  We draw close to Jesus during those moments, we place ourselves mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically at rest and under his care.  We connect ourselves more to the source of life and in so doing, we will be renewed when the season of fruitfulness comes again.  Just as we are intended to abide and Christ during those moments, I hope that we can also abide/remain/be connected to one another.  For those who are in a different season, we celebrate with you and share in the joyful progress of the ministry Christ has given to your hands and heart.  It’s a tangible reminder that these seasons come and go.    In truth, it’s rare that fruitfulness and pruning are that distinct from one another.  The reality is that often they are both happening simultaneously, but our experience is identified by one more than the other.

Recently I was visiting a network church and talking with one of our pastors who was sharing with me how they occasionally lament that they don’t have a building as it often feels like a barrier to growth in their community.  He then went on to tell me how his wife recently corrected him about his lamentations as they have 80-100 people within their congregation who really “get it” and are genuinely pursuing Jesus and His mission.  As he sat with those words he told me that he came to see what a beautiful thing he has caring for in those 80-100 people.  I couldn’t agree more.

Whether you have 500-1000 in your congregation (as some churches in Ecclesia do) or 30-40 (as others do), helping the people of Jesus loves to grow up into the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ is an awesome and history making task within itself, particularly as you help them come to understand their role in the great time-line of God’s kingdom action here on earth.  Each week you preach or pray or create or counsel is a critical task.  And, in spite of the odds, we can take great joy in knowing that those who have gone before and those who will come after have felt this same way.  So, let’s take joy in hardship and celebration and let’s do it together!

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If 2016 was a Challenging Year – You’re Not Alone!

chris_backertI know many leaders within Ecclesia who are happy to put 2016 in the rear view mirror.  While any year in church leadership is full of a mixture of highs and lows, successes and failures, and moments of God’s Action or (seeming) inaction, 2016 seemed to tip toward the challenging for many in Ecclesia.

I can’t think of another year since Ecclesia began where more congregations were …

  • Faced with financial challenges
  • Grappling with how to maintain scriptural fidelity to Orthodoxy while the climate around us becomes increasingly secular
  • Experienced significant transitions in leadership within the congregations
  • Dealt with significant conflicts that shake up the entire congregation, or at best, put a strain among staff.
  • And of course, this is not to mention the peculiar season we face in the United States in the church’s relationship to the political process.  

Yes, 2016 was a year of obstacles for just about every church in Ecclesia (and from my vantage point, those outside Ecclesia too).  

Here is what we must remember though- in these moments where we face challenges – we are not alone!   We know this to be true right?  Jesus told us he would be with us always, until the end of the age (Matthew 28).  He also told us that he would not leave us as orphans, but send another comforter (John 14).   We are not alone.  Yet, why do so many church leaders feel alone?

I would suggest that often we feel alone because we face our challenges alone.  We can be isolated as congregations, and therefore are more isolated from help when the attacks of the enemy or the effects of sin break forth in our midst.  I dare say that churches that only look to themselves locally (fellow pastors, boards, elders, congregants, etc) always fare worse than those that look beyond their local context for help and support.  Always.  

Jesus left us with the reality of his presence through the impartation of the Holy Spirit in perpetuity.  The Holy Spirit takes it’s primary residence in relationship to the people of God, and this is not simply a “local church” reality.  It’s clear in the New Testament that there is a “local church” and a “universal church” but there is also a “regional church.”  Whether this was the church in a region or a wider city (i.e. letter to Colossians), or most often referenced to the trans-local band of apostles and evangelists and prophets and teachers that worked among and throughout the early church, it’s clear that there was a concrete and personal community that was intended to exist in fellowship beyond a local congregation, even outside its own city.  There is a fairly good basis to say that the strength of the New Testament church was at least partially in relation to a local congregation having a proactive relationship to this “middle” space between the local and universal.  I think that today, even occasionally among Ecclesia churches, we have a tendency to forget the vital role the “trans-local church” carries..  It is the “network” level of church that keeps the local congregation from becoming myopic or insulated within its own locality.  It’s the “network” level that helps make the universal church concrete and un-ethereal.  

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Reality Check- Who is the Real Enemy?

It seems that we are at a time in our nation when it’s hard to make friends, but it’s easy to make enemies.  I can’t tell you the number of people I have heard that have been “de-friended” or ridiculed for expressing a political opinion one way or another.  I know of many sincere, non-ideological followers of Christ that have been vilified by suggesting they may vote for Trump, and many sincere, non-ideological followers of Christ that have been vilified for suggesting they may vote for Clinton.  Recently, some of the prominent, Christian, political operatives in our country have even demeaned those who are suggesting that their conscience cannot allow them to vote for President at all.  Indeed, we seem to be able to easily identify an enemy.

I’ve come to the point where I have great compassion and empathy for anyone who has struggled with this decision – whether to vote Trump, or Clinton, or neither (or other).  To those who say they intend to vote for Trump because of the Supreme Court alone, or their wish to “stick it” to the political principalities and powers, I understand.  To those who intend to vote for Clinton because of her concern for the poor or her advocacy for women across the globe, not to mention the significance of having a woman in the oval office, I too understand.  When I think about my own faith, and the fact that by voting I am still personally endorsing two bad options, I am inclined to not vote at all.  And here, it is possible, that any of these words may create an enemy for me.

Often I find myself these days coming back to the one thing I know to be supreme above all, and that is Jesus and the church he founded.  These are realities that are concrete and far less ambiguous.  In a time when enemies are being created by the day, we have something very important to offer – a reality check for who the real enemy is.

In 2 Corinthians 4 we are reminded that the God of this world has blinded the eyes of those who do not believe.  Ephesians 6 tells us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers.  1 Peter warns us that the devil is roaming about like a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour.  As Christians we know who the real enemy is – or do we?

The other day when my daughter was sick, I sat and watched the Disney movie Mulan with her.  The main antagonist in the story – Shan Yu – was spoken of often.  He was identified by the protagonists, they did their best to develop a strategy to defeat him, and it was clear they were aware (and in that case, concerned) about him.  It was clear to them who the enemy was and you could tell by the amount of “air time” he got.  If you looked at most churches today, across the theological spectrum, one thing is mostly certain: in few places would any neutral observer be able to identify who we actually believe our real enemy is.  In our more progressive circles, we are doubtful that the Satan even exists.  If he does, it is in some elusive and undiscernible form.  Our more conservative circles are not too altogether different (though some corners of both Charismaticism/Pentecostalism are an exception).   While we believe that the scriptures say the Satan is real, we rarely speak of him, also attributing his actions to some elusive and undiscernible form (and most of the “spiritual realm” we handle similarly).  For those among us who are Centrist, I find that we believe in the devil and often know that he is really acting, but because we know that most in our congregations fall to one side or the other of us in this area, we rarely speak of our sub-human enemy at all.  It’s no wonder we have so many other enemies – we can’t identify a personality big enough to occupy everything we need to lay at the feet of all that we disdain.  C.S. Lewis was right when he said, “if the devils exist, their first aim is to give you an anesthetic – to put you off your guard.  Only if that fails, do you become aware of them.

Herein is our great opportunity – name the devil – identify his works – articulate a strategy for his defeat – don’t let him blind us as well.  When is the last time you preached a sermon, or led a study, on how to deal with the devil?  Can you recall if you have exorcised a demon?  Or, how about something less overt?  Have you prayed against the devil and his schemes?  Have you incorporated this important element of our faith into your liturgy?  (You would need to have written it yourself as most liturgies omit this critical dimension of our faith).  So, how can you begin to inform and equip your congregation to deal with the devil and his works?  Jesus dealt with the reality of the devil quite often.  So should we.

This is not a “devil or demon under every rock” theology.  As best as I understand, the bible does not present the picture of a devil that is omni-present.  There are also limitations on demons and we are clearly told in the scriptures that the devil can, even now, be defeated and that the demons tremble at the name of Jesus (James 4, Matthew 8, Mark 5).  We should be so bold to speak his name, proclaim his blood, and give witness to our testimony (Rev. 12).

To my fellow pastors and leaders, I know that many of us fall into the category of leaders who believe the devil exist, who understand him to be a real personality, as well as being engaged in the “systems” of the world.  Yet, never talking about him is exactly his wish.  I suspect that he is happy to defer his glory for his gratification.  It’s time we fight back – for this is something that ONLY a Christian can do.  Indeed, this is the enemy we need to fight in these days.